Border patrol identifies 7-year-old girl who died at border

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died last week after suffering from dehydration while in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection was named Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin, according to officials.

On Friday afternoon, the Guatemalan Embassy and CBP confirmed the girl's name.

She and her father, along with 163 migrants, were detained by the CBP after they illegally crossed the U.S. border into a remote area of New Mexico called Antelope Wells.

"Unfortunately, despite our best efforts and the best efforts of the medical team treating the child, we were unable to stop this tragedy from occurring," the Department of Homeland Security said, reported NBC News.

Jakelin's father told media she fell ill and began vomiting.

The group of migrants were transported by bus from Antelope Wells to a border station in Lordsburg, N.M. When they arrived 90 minutes later, she was not breathing. Emergency workers revived her twice before transporting her by air to an El Paso, Texas, hospital. She died Dec. 8 of cardiac arrest.

The Department of Homeland Security responded to the the girl's death on its Facebook page:

"As we have repeatedly said, traveling north illegally into the United States is extremely dangerous. Drug cartels, human smugglers and the elements pose deadly risks to anyone who attempts to cross the border illegally. Once again, we are begging parents to not put themselves or their children at risk by attempting to enter illegally. Please, we are begging you, present yourselves and your children at a port of entry and seek to enter legally and safely."

In a statement on the U.S. Customs website, CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said, "Despite our trained EMT agents' best efforts fighting for Jakelin's life, and the work of the Hidalgo County and Providence Children's Hospital medical teams treating her, we were unable to rescue her."